Gophers freshmen have talent, but Ben Johnson needs more improvement soon

Ben Johnson decided going into his second year as Gophers men's basketball coach to play his talented freshman class as much as possible to see how they responded.

The early signs were bright. Braeden Carrington, Pharrel Payne, Joshua Ola-Joseph and Jaden Henley each scored in double figures at least once this season, the most since five Gophers freshmen reached that mark in 2015-16.

But entering Thursday's game against Chicago State, the Gophers (5-6) have had most of their freshmen learning of late by watching from the bench for long stretches.

"They're probably called upon more than any group of freshmen in our league, or if not really close to it," Johnson said. "So I think there are always ups and downs. And that's part of being a freshman, part of some growing pains."

Payne at times was the team's best post presence. Henley and Ola-Joseph showed flashes of potential in the starting lineup.

Carrington, Minnesota's Mr. Basketball last season, scored a team-high 20 points in last week's 72-56 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff to help snap a five-game losing streak. He scored the most points for a Gophers freshman since Gabe Kalscheur's 24 in the NCAA tournament opening-round win vs. Louisville in March 2019.

But Carrington (29 minutes) was the only U freshman to play more than 12 minutes against Pine Bluff. In fact, Payne (12 minutes), Ola-Joseph (10) and Henley (8) played 30 minutes combined that night, including just nine minutes combined in the second half.

Was their head coach trying to send a message to the group that they shouldn't take their playing time for granted? If so, there's always the chance that frustration carries over into the next game.

"I think the guys have the right attitude," Johnson said. "They understand that to take advantage of the minutes and the reps that they've gotten, not only in practice but in games, to truly value those because they're not handed out."

Payne and Carrington are the top two freshman scorers on the team at 8.1 and 8.0 points per game, respectively. Payne leads the Gophers in blocks (1.4) and field-goal percentage (72.4), while ranking second in rebounding (5.4).

A 6-9 Cottage Grove native, Payne had a double-double earlier this season in an overtime win vs. Cal Baptist on Nov. 21, but Johnson wants to see him demand the ball and be a more consistent inside force.

"It's a big jump from high school," Payne said previously. "The guys are bigger and stronger. Having to deal with that along with the pace has been a thing I've had to adjust to."

Dawson Garcia leads the Gophers in scoring and rebounding, which puts less pressure on Payne and Ola-Joseph to make a significant impact in the frontcourt. Henley started the first nine games of the season in the backcourt, including when Carrington and standout Jamison Battle were both out injured.

A 6-7 freshman from California, Henley eventually lost his starting spot to graduate transfer Taurus Samuels. But Henley approached the situation by working even harder to develop his overall game, Johnson said.

"That's one of the most exciting things about him," he said. "A big focus has been just improving his perimeter game. We know what he can do inside, but can he dribble, pass, and shoot on the perimeter? Can he defend on the perimeter? He's taken really good steps in the right direction."

Seven years ago, the Gophers finished 8-23 with a rotation that included four freshmen. Johnson was an assistant then under Richard Pitino, who suffered through a lot of losses with a young team.

No Big Ten team has three freshmen playing 20-plus minutes other than the Gophers this year. Carrington (24.4), Payne (21.4), Henley (20.6), and Ola-Joseph (17.0) are among the team's top seven in minutes played. The Gophers need them to develop sooner rather than later to stay afloat with Big Ten play resuming next month.

"They've played enough and experienced enough where they almost have got to view themselves as sophomores," Johnson said. "You always want to see improvement, especially with young guys who have big upside on your team."